Orochimaru, the master of deception.
If there was one thing he excelled at, it was ambushes.
And just now—
When he saw **Kuzo's golden eyes** up close for the first time, something inside him stirred.
The feeling was almost identical to when he had first laid eyes on the **Sharingan**.
He **had** to obtain them.
Without hesitation, he made his move.
His hand was only **thirty centimeters** away from Kuzo's face when—
**"Hadō #58: Tenran."**
*Boom!*
A powerful white whirlwind exploded out of nowhere, slamming directly into Orochimaru's face!
"?!?"
*Whoosh!*
Blown away like a ragdoll, Orochimaru crashed through several trees before slamming into the ground.
*Cough!*
A mouthful of **blood** splattered onto the dirt.
His head spun.
What… just happened?
**When did this guy form a seal?!**
Nearby, the masked man narrowed his eyes.
Tch. **That strange pupil technique again.**
First, a **golden lightning technique with no seals**.
Then, a **blue fire attack**.
And now, a **wind jutsu**?
This golden-eyed freak… how many abilities did he have?!
Orochimaru pushed himself up, wiping the blood from his lips.
But before he could speak—
**"Orochimaru."**
Kuzo's voice was calm, almost bored.
"This little game ends here."
Orochimaru chuckled lowly, his snake-like eyes locking onto Kuzo's.
"Heh… I suppose so."
"I thought I might get lucky just now, but it seems you're not so easy to catch off guard."
"That said…"
Orochimaru's smirk widened.
"I hear Akatsuki is **recruiting** members."
"Shouldn't you be inviting me to join?"
"I'm very interested in your organization. And if I were to join… well, wouldn't that make Akatsuki even stronger?"
Kuzo remained silent.
Orochimaru continued, his tone casual but his eyes sharp.
"I also have access to **classified intelligence** from multiple nations. Surely, that would be useful to your organization?"
Kuzo smirked.
Ah… **so this was his real goal.**
The snake wanted in.
Out of curiosity, Kuzo glanced at his system panel.
A **new set of side missions** had appeared:
- **Recruit 1 Akatsuki member** (0/1) — Reward: Unknown
- **Recruit 2 Akatsuki members** (0/2) — Reward: Unknown
- **Recruit 3 Akatsuki members** (0/3) — Reward: Unknown
So, for every member he recruited, he'd receive **a reward.**
And **Orochimaru was practically offering himself for free.**
No reason to refuse.
Kuzo chuckled.
"It seems… you do fit Akatsuki well."
"Fine. In the name of Leader Pain, I **accept your membership.**"
"?!?"
Both Orochimaru and the masked man turned to stare.
Orochimaru was **pleased**—he hadn't expected to be accepted so quickly.
But the masked man?
The masked man was **furious.**
Of course, he couldn't show it.
So instead, in **ALFY's usual tone,** he protested,
"Eh? Senior Kuzo?! I-I don't think this is a good idea!"
"If Orochimaru joins, he might steal our secrets!"
"I think we should reject him!"
Orochimaru's smile twitched.
He was about to argue—
But before he could, Kuzo **cut him off.**
He turned to the masked man and **rolled his eyes.**
"You're just an intern. **Why are you making decisions?**"
"..."
Then, Kuzo took a slow step forward, staring directly into the spiral mask.
He smiled.
"Or do you think…"
"**You're the real leader behind Akatsuki?**"
"That you have more authority than Pain?"
The words **hung in the air like a blade.**
Silence.
Underneath the mask, **Obito clenched his fists.**
What…?
He was the **real** leader of Akatsuki.
Wasn't he?
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